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Chapter 11 Transact/iX Symbolic Debugger: TRANDEBUG
Overview
TRANDEBUG is an interactive tool that helps you debug native mode
Transact/iX applications. You use TRANDEBUG to isolate run-time errors
after your program has compiled and linked successfully.
TRANDEBUG allows you to:
* Stop the execution of a program at specific locations
* Display the contents of:
* Transact data items
* Transact registers
* Run-time options
* Call stack
* Perform stack
* VPLUS communication area
* Set breakpoints at specific locations, data items, and data item
values
* Modify the contents of Transact data items, registers and run-time
options
* Trace the execution path of a program
* View the source code for the program being debugged
* Record and playback TRANDEBUG commands using an MPE/iX file
* Issue MPE/iX commands
* Invoke the MPE/iX Native Mode Debug Facility, NMDEBUG
* Trace KSAM, MPE/iX file, and TurboIMAGE intrinsic calls.
Features and Benefits
TRANDEBUG offers the following major features and benefits.
Symbolic Debugger.
TRANDEBUG is a symbolic debugging interface for Transact/iX. You can
interactively monitor your program execution and location, and examine
the contents of Transact data items and registers without knowing the
memory addresses.
Breakpoints.
TRANDEBUG lets you stop your program at specific points of interest
called breakpoints. Set breakpoints by using the following four
commands:
* BREAK SET command sets a breakpoint at a specified segment number
and p-code offset.
* DATA BREAK SET command sets a breakpoint at a specified data item
or data-item value.
* DATA BREAK REGISTER command sets a breakpoint at a specified
register.
* LABEL BREAK SET command sets a breakpoint at a specified label.
Once breakpoints are set, use the following commands to list and delete
breakpoints:
* BREAK LIST
* BREAK DELETE
* DATA BREAK LIST
* DATA BREAK DELETE
You'll find syntax, descriptions, and examples of these commands in the
"TRANDEBUG Commands" section of this chapter.
Transact Display Functions.
TRANDEBUG lets you display information about your Transact/iX program
with the numerous options of the DISPLAY command. You can display the
contents of Transact data items, registers, run-time options, database or
file information, call and perform stacks, and VPLUS communication areas.
The data and list registers are displayed by the DISPLAY ITEM command.
Other registers that can be displayed are the match, key, update, status,
statusin, argument, and input run-time registers.
Transact Modify Functions.
TRANDEBUG lets you modify values of Transact data items, registers and
run-time options. The MODIFY ITEM command allows you to update the
contents of a data register. You can modify the input, data, key,
argument, match, status, and update registers.
Program Execution Control.
You can control your program execution when you use TRANDEBUG. The
CONTINUE command resumes program execution. When breakpoints are
encountered, TRANDEBUG suspends program execution so that you can examine
or manipulate data. You can also use the STEP command to execute a
program on a statement-by-statement basis.
MPE/iX Subsystem Support.
TRANDEBUG lets you take advantage of the MPE/iX native mode environment.
Statements that begin with a colon (:) are passed automatically to the
MPE/iX Command Interpreter for execution. TRANDEBUG allows you to invoke
the native mode debugger (NMDEBUG.PUB.SYS) when you want to monitor your
program's execution at the machine-instruction level.
Source Code Window.
TRANDEBUG includes a window through which you can view source code for
the program being debugged. This window can be turned on and off at any
time during a TRANDEBUG session. Use the WINDOW ON command to display
the source file. You can change the window size, page forward or
backward through the source file, or jump to a specified statement or
label.
TRANDEBUG Log and Command Files.
With TRANDEBUG, you can log your interactive debug commands to MPE/iX
files. You can use this feature to create a procedure for establishing
frequently used breakpoints in a program under development. The LOG ON
command starts a recording session where your subsequent keystrokes are
recorded to a log file. The LOG OFF command ends the recording session,
and LOG CLOSE saves the recording to a permanent file. You then invoke
the commands in the log file with the USE command. You can also use a
text editor to create command files that can be invoked with the USE
command.
Arithmetic Trapping.
TRANDEBUG provides a mechanism to gain control of your program when
arithmetic traps occur. For example, an integer overflow or division by
zero sets an arithmetic trap. When this happens, an error message is
displayed and control returns to TRANDEBUG so you can determine what
caused the error.
Control Y Trapping.
When Ctrl Y is pressed during a debugging session, program control
returns to TRANDEBUG, and at this point, you can enter any valid
TRANDEBUG command. This allows you to regain control of TRANDEBUG before
the next breakpoint is reached.
Online Help.
The HELP subsystem provides a way to obtain information on command
syntax, parameter descriptions, and examples. Any time you need help in
executing a command, type HELP and (optionally) the command name.
Commands are also described in the "TRANDEBUG Commands" section later in
this chapter.
Compatibility.
TRANDEBUG provides debugging support exclusively for Transact/iX
applications. Transact/iX programs compiled from TRANCOMP/V generated
p-code files are not supported. You must compile your program from a
source file in order to use TRANDEBUG.
TRANDEBUG does not support other programming languages, such as COBOL,
FORTRAN, or Pascal. The native mode debugger can be invoked from within
TRANDEBUG for this purpose.